Shuu Mikoto
Shuu Mikoto (尊 朱 , Mikoto Shuu) is a young Shinigami and current Captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He is often depicted as a prodigy and genius. He also plays a major role in the Soul Society's recent history. Appearance Shuu is a lean-bodied, fair-skinned young man with deep vermillion-colored eyes and black hair. He appears completely identical to his former self in every way with the exception of his hair; which, unlike the Shuu of old, is worn with a full fringe that covers his entire forehead, and can sometimes appear to cover his eyes. Along with being "small" Shuu is also very flexible, fleet-footed and has, on numerous occasions, displayed his natural ability to maneuver adeptly and easily fit through tight spaces while "average" sized and large people will struggle or fail to do so. Shuu wears a standard black Shinigami Shihakushō uniform with a few slight personifications. Under his kosode, he wears a close-fitting, sleeveless black undershirt with a high collar that hugs his neck. The sleeves of his kosode are shorter and more narrow than average to enable swifter and more silent movements. He also wears black vambraces which are an extension of his Zanpakutō even in it's sealed form. Instead of wearing sandals, Shuu wears black jika-tabi (Tabi boots) with a strap around the foreleg to hold his hakama tucked in at his shins. His Captain Haori is sleeveless and has a hood. Additionally, Shuu wears a black obi sash in which he horizontally fastens his Zanpakutō across his lower back. During his time as an Academy Student, Shuu wore his hair tied up in a topknot earning himself the nickname "Mage" (髷 ,Topknot). Personality Bursting with life. Like his appearance, Shuu's personality and character very much reflect that of his legendary former self. He is an introvert by nature but also someone who is very aware of his own emotions and likewise tries to understand and appeal to the emotions of others. Shuu is a very calm, docile, and shy young individual with the tendency to be withdrawn and reserved. Despite having a small and cherished group of individuals that he prefers to communicate with, he does desire to be socially active and will often try to expand his "circle" of friends --even to people who some would say he shouldn't. He prides himself on being very friendly and easy to approach. Shuu strongest traits are his utter selflessness, which many would attribute to his suffering sense of self-value. Regardless, Shuu's ability to put others above himself and his cherished feelings is something truly admirable. No matter how big or small a matter, if given the option of doing something for himself or for someone else, Shuu will almost always choose the latter. He can also be extremely yielding and submissive, and this is a trait that some people will often quickly take the opportunity to siege the advantage of. He is a firm believer in doing everything he can to be useful, he takes work and orders very seriously and does everything in his power to be the "solution" instead of "the problem" or "burden". He goes out of his way to be polite, although there are times when he comes up short and in such cases he always expresses his sincere apologies. Likewise sincerity and honesty are also default traits of his, and sometimes he will feel saddened and betrayed when those traits aren't upheld by the people he trusts. An unwavering fact about Shuu is that no matter how strong he becomes he remains the very sensitive being he is. On the positive side, being sensitive is a tremendous part of what makes Shuu so unconditionally friendly and warm-hearted. On the negative end of things, he is extremely self-conscious and can also be insecure. He can be easily manipulated by emotions and at times he can be stubborn and naive. If he feels alone, he may look for affection in the wrong places and give his trust to the wrong people. He also tends to have a black-and-white sense of judgment --especially regarding himself. When it comes to "good and bad" a particular thing will either be extremely good or entirely evil. Of all his weaknesses, Shuu's sensitivity is probably the most effective. The Opinions of the people around him can significantly impact his performance for better or worst. Shuu is also very shy around females and has a very intense sensitivity towards nudity. The mere mentioning and nakedness is enough to turn him red and have him cringing. Also, despite having an extraordinary resolve, Shuu is by no means invincible and is not above falling to emotion breakdowns; the influence of which often causing him to act impulsively. Applying the right negative pressure in the right places is enough to shatter him completely. In minor cases, he is capable of throwing teenage-like fits, though he doesn't pride himself on them. Shuu loves seafood, and greatly dislikes chicken, no matter how it is served. His favorite desserts are Anko (red bean paste) and cinnamon rolls. He has a passion for reading, writing, Shigo, Chess, and calligraphy. Shuu is very work-orientated when he needs to be, and prefers to be active over having time to sloth around. He trains intensely and is dedicated to mastering any skill he chooses to tackle. His favorite colors are black and red, and they are the only colors he likes to wear. After discovering the infamous "Hou Ra" battle cry, Shuu decided to adopt it as his own in memory of his former self and how stunningly "cool" it sounds. Because he sees himself as the "insignificant being", Shuu strives his hardest to live up to the image of his former-self. He resolves to not only reach the level of the past Mikoto Shuu, but also to surpass him and become an even better protector. However, by trying to mimic the standard of the old Mikoto and learning more about his legacy, Shuu steadily becomes more and more influenced by his past in both good ways and equally bad ones. Despite his past reputation of being naive at times, Shuu has grown to become very perceptive and intuitive, traits which he displays most in combat. History The Legacy Arc The Legacy begins with the Mikoto Shuu of the past. He was the first born heir of the 15th Generation of cursed Mikoto at a time when the Mikoto clan was still very much plagued by the curse that had tainted their name for the past 1000 years. The curse prevented any Mikoto from living any longer than a second lifetime. Upon their second death the Spirit was immediately condemned to Hell, regardless of whether or not they had lived a life of sin. In hopes of cleansing their name, the Mikoto formed a covenant, known as The Mikoto Council; hidden behind the guise of a massive Electronic Industry "Mikoto Advanced Technology Industries" M.A.T.I. The Council's sole purpose was finding a means to remove the curse from the Mikoto name, and for this task it was required that they be spread throughout the Living and Spiritual realms. Mikoto who sacrificed their human lives for the purpose of being those pawns were known as "Heirs". Shuu became a heir at a very delicate time for the Mikoto Council, it had lost several members in the course of a only a few years due to the ongoing and bloody quarrels between the heirs who had come to adopt the methodologies of their respective races; Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, or Bounto. At the time of Shuu's case, the Shinigami and Hollow Descents were in equal need of the new heir, who had displayed much promise as a Descent. There was a heated debate over whether Shuu would walk the Shinigami or Hollow path. Eventually each party was given the opportunity to persuade Shuu and the choice would then be ultimately left up to him. After speaking with both the evil Masato (distant uncle and Hollow Heir) and the warm-hearted Reika (Distant Aunt and Shinigami Heir), Shuu had chosen to become a Shinigami but he had doubts. It was a very delicate decision to make at once and he still had much he wanted to do before dying. He left the Council's ground in order to consult a classmate and close friend of his, Rukia Midwinter. But upon arriving at Rukia's home, Shuu was distracted by a burst of Reiatsu that originated from a construction sight across the street. Recognizing it as Masato's Reiatsu, Shuu quickly rushed to the scene where he confronted Masato and was attacked without a single word. Only for Masato to later explain that Shuu no longer had a choice in the matter and that he would force him to become a Hollow Descent. Just seconds before Masato would kill Shuu, the other Heirs arrived to his rescue, Reika and two others facing Masato head on, while Hiro (Shuu's grandfather) and Takashi (Shuu's father) tried to help the young Heir escape. Seeing through the attempt, Masato immediately killed the two Heirs who were with Reika before firing a Cero into the skeleton foundation of a building, causing a wave a debris to cascade over Shuu and Hiro. Though Hiro held off the attack for a moment, he was soon decapitated by Masato who seized advantage of Hiro's vulnerability. The only defense severed, Shuu was buried below the debris and died shortly afterwards. Rising as a spirit, he watched Takashi take a critical blow. Enraged and determined, Shuu snapped his Chain of Fate and charged after Masato. He battled for a moment before being knocked away, but he had distracted Masato just long enough for the severely injured Reika to lay in a fatal blow using a Shakkaho. After the battle, Reika managed to Soul Bury Shuu before dying herself as Shuu ascended to the Soul Society. Shuu wasted in time in the Rukon District and set out to fulfill his duty as a Shinigami Descent. He joined the Shin'ō Academy and dedicated himself to improving until he graduated, only two years later. He lived as a Shinigami for a decade, quickly soaring his way higher into the ranks. However, despite being an exceptional Shinigami, the duties and expectations put upon him as a Shinigami quite often collided with Shuu's own morals and his personality, and for that reason he often found it difficult to uphold all his responsibilities as a Shinigami as he became stronger. He didn't believe in simply slaying Hollow, rather he felt that Hollows should be given a choice of whether or not they should be purified (Like Mikoto Descents) and that, as long as they didn't pose a threat to the living, they should be left alone. Shuu also had a strong belief in changing the way of the world, especially the state of war between the Shinigami and the Hollow. It was a dream born from the idea that originated with his Mikoto Ancestors before the Clan was cursed for treachery against the other races. Shuu believed that through sharing an unsegregated power that would be created and equally shared by each of the races, an alliance could be possible. That source of power was to be made in the Mikoto Company which, Shuu had come to inherit. Unfortunately, Shuu was under the constant pressure of other Shinigami and himself. Naturally most disagreed with his dreams and his intentions, mainly the Central 46 who often saw him as nothing more than a naive child. There were also other things that burdened Shuu, like his positivity and his sentimental personality, which were both commonly shunned by other Shinigami. His unwillingness to kill unless absolutely necessary often put him in the bad eye of his comrades, who would suggest "if he wasn't going to kill then he shouldn't bother calling himself a Death God". On the emotional note, Shuu often seemed reserved, but in reality he was heavily devastated by all he'd left behind after his human death, in a sense, he could have been considered a pulse attached to his past life; and the spirit that was his sanity was slowly beginning to Hollowfy. Shuu's condition grew even worst when Soi Feng (as well as all the other Captains) disappeared. He felt he'd lost the love of his life. After being appointed as the New Captain Commander, the emotionally unstable Shuu saw his promotion as a chance to fulfill his dream. With the support of his closest friends and his sister Shika, he effectively launched the first "M.A.T.I Inter-Dimensional Expo" which was the first attempt to unite the races under newly developed technology built by the Mikoto Industry. The Expo started off very promising until an unexpected disaster occurred at the hand of the infamous Mikoto Masato, who raided the expo and proceeded to incite a war that ended in a massacre and the destruction of the Mikoto Industry. Though Shuu eventually defeated and killed Masato, it came at the cost off his friends, subordinates, his sister, and finally all hope for ever fulfilling his dreams. The Mikoto curse was to prevail. Blaming himself for all that had happened, Shuu gave into the belief that he was not a capable leader or a Shinigami. He returned to Soul Society; where he relinquished his authority and requested to be detained within the Nest of Maggots, to there remain until the end of his time. However, the rise of an unforeseen crisis would bring a recess to his term in confinement, as he was yet again called upon to use his powers for the sake of the Soul Society and the World of the Living. A series of major conflicts followed until a finale in which Shuu was believed to have been killed. It isn't quite clear what happened besides that fact that Shuu disappeared entirely... Plot W.I.P Powers & Abilities Category:Shinigami Category:Characters